"Hunger Games" and "Hobbit" most-anticipated films of 2013: poll

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - This year will look a lot like 2012 at the box office, with "The Hunger Games" and Hobbits at the top of cinemagoers must-see lists, according to a survey by ticket-seller Fandango released on Thursday.

The second installment in "The Hunger Games" trilogy, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," which is set for a November release, topped the list as 2013's most-anticipated blockbuster.

The first film in the life-or-death thriller series starring Jennifer Lawrence, raked in some $687 million at the worldwide box office in 2012.

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," director Peter Jackson's second installment in the "The Hobbit" series of elves and dwarves, ranked second on the survey that polled more than 2,000 moviegoers during the final week of 2012. It is scheduled to hit the big screen in December.

"People love the mega-franchises and that is what gets them most excited," Dave Karger, Fandango chief correspondent, told Reuters. "The first 'Hunger Games' whetted peoples' appetites for more. The same can be said for 'The Hobbit' and 'Iron Man.'"

The superhero thriller "Iron Man 3" starring Robert Downey Jr. ranked third on the list and is set for a May 3 release.

"Star Trek into Darkness" - the follow-up to 2009's "Star Trek" science-fiction adventure - and "The Great Gatsby" starring Leonardo DiCaprio rounded out the top five. Both films are set to open in May.